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By Pertti Olavi Jalasjaa

Mercury is the name of a planet, an ancient Roman god, and a make of automobile. Most people have a casual understanding of each of those three, but it is the mercury included in the periodic table of elements that demands greater public contemplation. For if contemporary society placed more of an emphasis on the pernicious effects of mercury exposure, perhaps fewer people would be victimized by related illnesses and diseases.

Mercury is the most toxic non-radioactive element on Earth, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has proclaimed that no level of mercury can be regarded as being safe. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in a 2001 study that one in every 10 American women of childbearing age is at risk for having a baby born with neurological problems due to mercury exposure.

There are three principal types of mercury, and each type presents a serious health hazard to humans.

The first type, elemental mercury, is a liquid that gives off mercury vapor at room temperature. This vapor can be inhaled into the lungs and passed into the bloodstream. Elemental mercury can also enter the bloodstream by permeating the skin.

Inorganic mercury compounds, the second type, can also be inhaled as well as pass through the skin. Unlike elemental mercury, though, inorganic mercury compounds can also be absorbed through the stomach if swallowed. Elemental mercury, if swallowed, is not absorbed and usually exits the body without causing any harm. Many inorganic mercury compounds are irritating or corrosive to the skin, eyes and mucus membranes.

The third type of mercury, organic mercury compounds, can enter the body by way of all three routes – lungs, skin and stomach.

Exposure to any form of mercury on a repeated basis, or even a very high single dose, can lead to chronic mercury poisoning. According to the New Jersey State Department of Health, chronic mercury poisoning is characterized by three major symptoms:

Gum problems. The gums become soft and spongy; teeth loosen; sores may develop, and saliva production may increase.

Mood and mental changes. People with chronic mercury poisoning frequently experience wide mood swings, becoming irritable, frightened, excited or depressed very quickly for no apparent reason. Some people may become extremely upset at any criticism, lose all self-confidence, and become apathetic. Memory loss, hallucinations, and inability to concentrate can also occur.

Nervous system impairment. The earliest and most frequent symptom of chronic mercury poisoning is a fine tremor of the hand. Tremors can also occur in the eyelids and tongue. A person with chronic mercury poisoning may also experience difficulty balancing and walking.

In What Your Doctor May Not Be Telling You About Autoimmune Disorders, authors Dr. Stephen Edelson and Deborah Mitchell call mercury “one of the most common poisons to which we are exposed,” noting its presence in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the fish we eat, and our dental fillings.

According to Edelson and Mitchell, “Once it is in the body, mercury affects both the immune and nervous systems by damaging neurons and the transmission of signals in the brain, causing symptoms such as loss of sensation, vision problems, muscle weakness, loss of coordination, loss of memory, chronic fatigue and tremors.” The authors further state that mercury toxicity has been linked with Alzheimer’s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, rheumatoid arthritis, and many other conditions.

While mercury can also be found in such common consumer products as fabric softener, waterproof mascara, and contact lens solution, the use of mercury in amalgam fillings seems to have aroused particular public passion in recent years.

Consider the following information from the Alternative Medicine Guide to Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia and Environmental Illness: “Every year, more than 100 million mercury amalgam fillings are put into the mouths of U.S. dental patients, despite the fact that, in 1988, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared scrap dental amalgam a hazardous waste… Evidence now shows that mercury amalgams are the major source of mercury exposure for the general public, at rates six times higher than mercury from fish and seafood.”

The guide further states, “Since mercury vapors are continuously released from amalgam fillings, as long as you have mercury dental fillings, you inhale mercury vapor 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The resulting level of mercury in the body has serious health consequences. Research has demonstrated that the body’s tissues, especially in the brain, kidneys, jaw, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and liver, absorb and store mercury.”

With such research findings having caught the public’s attention, some people have begun insisting that their dentists use composite fillings, also known as “white fillings,” as a non-toxic alternative to amalgam fillings. As well, some dental patients are demanding that their existing amalgam fillings be removed and replaced with composite fillings.

In her book Detoxify or Die, Dr. Sherry A. Rogers writes, “Autoimmune disease, heart disease, high cholesterol and triglycerides, chemical sensitivity, allergies, antibiotic-resistant infections, depression, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, leukemia and just about any symptom you can think of have improved once sufficient accumulated mercury was removed from the teeth and body.”

Going a step further, Dr. Daniel Royal, member of the Nevada State Board of Homeopathic Medical Examiners, states, “While removal of amalgam fillings stops further poisoning from mercury fillings, you still need to detoxify the body to eliminate the residual effect from mercury that remains behind in the body. After all, it has been accumulating for as long as you’ve had amalgam fillings.”

Dr. Royal calls the sauna a useful adjunct to safe mercury removal because it induces profuse sweating. And, he notes, “You will derive immediate benefits from sauna detoxification, such as mental alertness, a sense of inner cleanliness, and enhanced well-being.”

The sauna of choice for many health professionals who routinely prescribe sauna detoxification or sauna therapy is the far infrared sauna. One reason is that far infrared saunas, also known as radiant heat saunas or soft heat saunas, can effectively function at temperatures lower than those characteristic of traditional hot Finnish saunas. Another reason can be found in the distinct contents of the sweat that results from proper far infrared sauna bathing.

A recent U.S. study revealed that the sweat of subjects who used a far infrared sauna consisted of less water and more toxic material than the sweat of the participants who bathed in a traditional Finnish sauna. In the perspiration of the far infrared sauna bathers, the non-water portion consisted of cholesterol; fat-soluble toxins; toxic heavy metals like mercury and aluminium; sulfuric acid; sodium; ammonia, and uric acid. The findings of this study make a strong case that far infrared saunas are simply better detoxification devices than conventional hot saunas.

Before you begin a sauna detoxification program, or if you suspect that you suffer from mercury poisoning, you should discuss your plans or share your suspicions with a qualified health professional. And if you decide to purchase a far infrared sauna for any of its many therapeutic properties, be sure to research your choices thoroughly, as satisfied sauna buyers are typically well-informed sauna buyers.